Team Nexreg

You’ve updated your SDS, but did you remember the GHS label?

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Safety data sheets (SDS) are just one form of hazard communication covered under the United Nation’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). The other main form of hazard communication is the label used on the package itself. The GHS label is often the first—and in some cases, the only—hazard labelling that the user will see for that product, and it provides critical information at a glance in the event of an accident or spill.

For these reasons, GHS labels are subject to the same information update requirements as SDSs. However, there are some additional items that need to be considered when creating your GHS label which may depend on the individual country’s regulations. For example:

  • Will this label be used in the workplace, for consumers, or both?
  • Does the target jurisdiction have additional regulations that need to be disclosed based on the product type, such as for detergents or aerosols in the EU?
  • Is there a limit to the number of precautionary statements that can be used on the label in the target jurisdiction?
  • Does the target jurisdiction have additional label elements that need to be included, such as unique formula identifiers (UFI) in the EU or poisonous/deleterious substance markings in Japan?
  • Are there exemptions to the required label content for small containers in the target jurisdiction? If so, what alternative labelling is permitted?
  • Can combined GHS MSDS/SDS be permitted under the target jurisdiction?

Not sure if your GHS label is compliant? Contact Us today! Ask us about our GHS labelling and GHS consulting services and stay tuned for more information about GHS labels.